Story

As
many of you will know, my amazing partner Craig died on 17th June following a long, complex and extremely rare illness. He had been seriously
ill since we moved into our new home in Whitley Bay in May 2013 with
his beautiful daughter Ayesha, who was 12 at the time.

Craig was admitted to hospital the next month following rapid weight loss, tiredness and problems with his vision and balance. Although he was home over the summer he was still very poorly. After significant deterioration in October 2013, Craig went on to spend almost 18 months in Intensive Care undergoing many treatments for an extremely rare response to cancer called
Paraneoplastic Neurological Disorder. It took a number of months to get a diagnosis because of how rare this disease is, with only 38 other people in the world reported to have had the same antibody in their blood which identifies the illness.

Although chemotherapy destroyed the cancer, the autoimmune response left Craig ventilator
dependent and unable to move most of his body. He had a short spell in neurological rehab but ultimately his body could not take any more and his life was cut tragically short.

We
had no idea something like this could happen because of cancer. Craig
was previously so active, fit and well- working full time, running a few times a
week and spending time with me, my stepdaughter Ayesha and our family and
friends here and in Scotland where he was from.

Craig's relentless energy, enthusiasm and commitment in his personal and professional life touched so many people. His belief in fairness and a better world will always encourage those of us who were lucky enough to be close to him to be the best we can be. He was a brilliant, loving, inspiring partner and he meant the world to me. Craig was also very much loved by my family who supported us both through all this, and I'm very proud to say my Mam is doing her
first Great North Run this year too. I'm doing a zipslide the following Saturday morning at the Quayside as well, so feel free to come and listen to my screams!

We're doing this for Craig, for those we know who have survived cancer and in memory
of others loved by us, our friends and family who we have sadly lost
to this horrible disease. Your
sponsorship will help us to stay motivated and focused in the hope
that together we might stop other people from having to go through
such a devastating experience.

Any
donation you can make to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, no matter
how small, will be really appreciated. You can read more about the
fantastic work of the Foundation on their website
http://sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.org.uk/

Donating
through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details
are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send
unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly
to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving
time and cutting costs for the charity.